


Heart-Shaped Cookies

by InYourNightmares



Category: Free!
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-26
Updated: 2015-10-26
Packaged: 2018-04-28 05:31:30
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,754
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5079673
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/InYourNightmares/pseuds/InYourNightmares
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>As Aiichiro Nitori looked back, he realized it had all started because of that damned stag beetle his roommate always carried around. Nitori/OFC (OFC is a Mikoshiba sibling). Two-shot.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Aiichiro Nitori slammed his hand against the wall, finishing his last training lap for the morning. He'd been up since 5 am, trying to complete the daily goals that Sousuke-senpai had set for him. He hoisted himself out of the pool quickly, going to check his time. Not bad. It was a definite improvement, but he could do better.

He had just reached for a towel to dry himself, when he heard it.

An ear-piercing scream.

It was a woman's voice, terrified and it chilled him to the bone. Shocked, Aiichiro dropped the towel immediately and ran out of the pool area, towards the lobby, from where the scream had come. Was someone in danger? Why was there a woman here so early in the morning? Aiichiro burst into the lobby and froze at the sight before him.

It was a girl. She was short, with sharp green eyes and wavy orange hair that covered her forehead and ran mid-way down her back. Her hands were covering her head and she cowered in a corner, emitting another scream as Nitori watched her helplessly. His eyes widened when he saw the source of her fear. Momotauro Mikoshiba was a few feet away, advancing on her slowly with a stag beetle dangling from his fingers.

"Onee-chan," Momotauro whined. He seemed hurt. "Why do you have to be like that? Pyunsuke-kun missed you, can't you be polite and say hello?"

The girl was trembling in the corner, and she lifted her head slightly to point a shaky finger at Momotauro. "Get-that-creature-away-from me!" She screamed again as Momotauro took another step closer to her. The beetle made a threatening clicking noise.

"Momo-kun," Aiichiro interrupted them hesitantly, causing both the siblings to turn and look at him. "What's going on? Hasn't Rin-senpai told you not to let the beetles out loose in the pool area?"

Momotauro pouted, as Aiichiro picked up the bottle that Pyunsuke was supposed to be in, and gestured for him to put the beetle back inside. Momotauro silently put the beetle inside and replaced the lid. Then he turned to show the closed bottle to his sister. "See, onee-chan? I put him back inside for you. His feelings are hurt now, I hope you're happy."

The girl refused to move from her corner. "Put it on that table, there," she insisted shakily, pointing to a table across the room. Momotauro pouted, but did as she said, putting the beetle on the other side of the room. The girl slowly stood up and dusted off what appeared to be an Iwatobi high school uniform.

"Arigatou," she said to Aiichiro, bowing to him quickly. Aiichiro flushed red.

"T-that's okay, I didn't really do anything-"

"Senpai!" Momotauro came back empty-handed, and slung an arm around the girl's shoulders. He grinned widely. "This is my onee-chan, Mikoshiba Mayumi. Onee-chan, this is Nitori-senpai!"

"Hello," Aiichiro greeted nervously. He rubbed the back of his neck with a hand. "I didn't know Seijurou-senpai and Momo-kun had a sister. It's nice to meet you."

"It's nice to meet you too," Mayumi replied, while shoving her brother away from her. She had a bright smile, just like her two brothers; only theirs didn't make Aiichiro's heart skip a beat. Mayumi managed to slip out of Momo's grip and bow to Nitori again. "Thank you for taking care of my stupid brother, Nitori-kun. I understand he can be a real pain. It must be difficult for you."

Aiichiro flushed. "No, it's not at all! Momo-kun's a great roommate."

Mayumi stared at him in surprise, before turning to smack her brother on the back of the head. Momotauro winced and glared at his sister resentfully. "Baka!" she scolded him. "Do you realize how lucky you are to have such a nice senpai? Maybe you can learn something from him and grow up a little."

Momotauro frowned. "Onee-chan, stop embarrassing me."

"I wouldn't have to if you'd let me do what I came to do, instead of pulling out those horrendous insects of yours," she snapped. "My friends' younger brothers collect playing cards and porn magazines. Why do you have to be the one with an obsession for beetles?"

"But I raised Pyunsuke myself, I don't see how he's any different from a pet-"

"Shut up," Mayumi snapped. She reached into her backpack, pulling out a large Tupperware box which she shoved in Momotauro's hands roughly. "Okaasan sent more snacks for you, since you finished the last batch in a day. Something about her growing boy needing nourishment. There's some of the fudge cake I made too. Don't eat it all yourself, or you'll get fat."

Momo frowned. "You're the one that's getting fat, onee-chan."

"Baka! Anyway, I have to go, I'll be late for school." Mayumi turned and gave Aiichiro another bright smile. "I'm sorry you have to put up with my brother, Nitori-kun. Make sure he shares some of the fudge cake with you, okay? I made it myself! It was nice meeting you!"

Aiichiro waved silently as the girl bounced away, her orange hair swinging behind her.

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The next time Aiichiro saw her was a few days later. This time it was at the nearby supermarket, while Aiichiro was searching for some protein powders to build up his muscle. He spotted the bright orange hair from three aisles away, bending forward slightly as she searched a shelf of baking products.

His heart skipped a beat for a moment, and he wondered whether he should approach her. Was it weird? They'd only met once, what if she didn't recognize him? His face flushed red and he decided to walk past silently, when Mayumi turned around herself and spotted him.

"Oh, Nitori-kun," she greeted him cheerfully. Green eyes shone at him. "How are you?"

"I'm fine," Aiichiro said quickly, searching for something to say so that an awkward silence wouldn't ensue. He quickly stammered out, "Y-your fudge cake was amazing, Mayumi-san! Momotauro-kun gave me some, it was really delicious!"

Mayumi flushed, and Aiichiro stared as he realized that when she blushed, her cheeks matched her hair. He quickly closed his mouth, hoping she hadn't caught him gaping at her. "Really?" Mayumi asked eagerly. "I'm really glad you liked it! I… I can send some specifically for you next time I bring homemade snacks for Momo," she said, before quickly adding. "Unless you were just saying that to be polite. Momo doesn't like my cakes much, he feeds them to his beetles," she muttered.

"No, I really liked it!" Aiichiro assured her. He watched as her cheeks turned even redder. "I'd love it if you could send more, but you shouldn't have to go to all that trouble for me, Mayumi-san. We don't know each other that well."

Mayumi laughed. "Well, you're putting up with my brother while I'm finally rid of him, so I guess you could say I owe you," she replied quickly, before looking thoughtful for a moment. "What's your favorite flavor?"

Aiichiro flushed. "I… I don't know. Butterscotch, maybe?"

Mayumi grinned. "Okay."

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Aiichiro came back to his room after a long practice session one night, to find his roommate still awake. Momotauro was sitting in his top bunk while playing with his stag beetle. He laughed happily as Pyunsuke crawled up his arm, before grinning down at his roommate. "Nitori-senpai! How was practice?"

Aiichiro smiled, tossing his bag on his chair. It landed on top of a pile of books. "It was fine," he replied.

"Good- no, Pyunsuke, not under the pillow- oh yeah, before I forget. Onee-chan came by today, she sent something for you, Nitori-senpai. I put it on your bed. It's probably something else atrocious she baked. Don't force yourself to eat it; I can always feed them to Pyunsuke."

Aiichiro flushed. Had Mayumi really carried out her promise to bake more cake for him? He noticed the small box on his bed and quickly opened it, as the mouthwatering smell of butterscotch wafted out. They were cookies; shaped like little flowers. Inside was a small folded slip of paper. He opened it to find a note in neat handwriting.

Nitori-kun,

This was all I could think to make with butterscotch. I hope you like them! Even if you don't, please, please don't let Momo get his hands on them. I couldn't bear to see that disgusting beetle eat my cookies.

Love,

Mayumi Mikoshiba

Aiichiro glanced up to make sure Momo was busy, before slipping the small note under his pillow and picking up a cookie. He bit into it and closed his eyes. It was amazing. As he closed the box and put it carefully on top of his table, Aiichiro realized one thing-

Even if the cookies tasted like dirt, he would have eaten them all for Mayumi.

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	2. Chapter 2

Aiichiro flinched as the annoying ringtone pierced the air again. It was the fifth time Momotauro's phone was ringing in the last ten minutes, and the bubbly orange-haired boy showed no signs of any intention to answer it. Aiichiro sighed and closed his book. With his strict training regimen, he got precious little time to study and maintain his grades.

"Your phone is ringing, Momo-kun," he pointed out.

Momo let out an annoyed groan from the top bunk. "I know. Let it ring."

"Aren't you going to answer it?"

"It's just Okaasan," he grumbled, sitting up and cutting the call again. "Why does she always have to call right when I'm in the middle of a nice dream about Gou-chan? Besides, I already talked to her this morning."

Aiichiro looked up. "You shouldn't make your mother worry, Momo-kun."

"She's not worried about me. She just wants me to tell her what's going on between onee-chan and onii-chan."

"Seijuro-senpai and Mayumi-chan?"

Momo leaned over the side of his bunk to narrow his eyes at his roommate. "You call my sister Mayumi-chan?"

Aiichiro flushed, looking a little embarrassed. "She asked me to," he muttered. The last time he had run into Mayumi, she had insisted that he address her more informally. To be honest, he didn't think it was physically possible for him to say no to the girl. Especially not when she sent him baked goods with little notes every other week. He stored them all carefully in an envelope under his pillow.

"Anyway," Momo leaned back on his bed, putting his hands behind his head. "They're having a fight at the moment. Seijuro-nii went and roughed up some guy from onee-chan's school who confessed to her, and she got really mad. They're not talking now, so okaasan is worried."

Aiichiro flushed and turned back to his book, trying to hide the crippling disappointment he suddenly felt. He should have known that Mayumi would have a boyfriend and admirers in her own school. She was pretty and kind, she must be popular with the boys. Aiichiro's heart suddenly sank and he felt ashamed of himself. How stupid was he to think that someone like him had a chance with Mayumi Mikoshiba?

He closed the book, suddenly not feeling like studying anymore.

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When Mayumi didn't send him any food that week, Aiichiro was almost certain that she had a boyfriend. He tried not to feel bad about it. It wasn't as though he'd ever had any chance with her anyway. But a tiny part of him wondered what might have happened if he'd confessed to her first.

Don't be stupid. She'd have turned you down nicely and then never spoken to you again.

"Nitori-kun! Your time is lagging," Rin called from across the pool. "Don't get distracted."

Aiichiro shot up straight, eyes widening. "Yes, captain! Sorry, captain!"

Rin looked down at the younger boy, and let out a sigh. "If you're feeling off today, go take a break. Don't stress yourself out, Nitori. Take a walk and come back in the evening."

Aiichiro nodded, embarrassed, and climbed out of the pool. He felt angry at himself for disappointing Rin-senpai. Look. This is where your stupid feelings get you. Stop feeling sorry for yourself and focus on your goal, he told himself, as he went to the locker rooms to take a hot shower. Yet, he couldn't get that bright orange hair and those green eyes out of his mind.

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When Aiichiro entered the lobby the next day, he found Mayumi waiting there, another set of Tupperware boxes on her lap. She was texting on her phone (was that her boyfriend?) but when he entered, she looked up and put the phone away instantly, smiling at him.

"Nitori-kun! O hayou!" she greeted happily.

"Mayumi-chan," he greeted her, flushing red. "Are you waiting for Momo-kun? He's still sleeping in our dorm room, but I can go wake him up for you-"

"No, I came to see you, actually" Mayumi admitted, her cheeks turning a furious red. Aiichiro stared at her in surprise when she quickly handed the box to him. "I'm sorry I didn't send anything over last week. I just wasn't feeling up to baking," she admitted.

Aiichiro shook his head quickly. "Of course not! I mean, I love your cakes but it's not like you're obligated to send them to me or anything, I'm just your brother's roommate, you don't have to apologize for that!"

Mayumi smiled lightly. "Don't be silly. I'm surprised you eat them at all. Both my brothers say that they can't fit such fatty foods into their diets or it might affect their fitness."

Aiichiro flushed. "I exercise extra to work them off," he admitted quietly.

"Really? That's so sweet," Mayumi said with a huge smile. "I don't think anyone's ever gone to that much effort just so they could eat my cakes before! I'll try and make them healthier from now on, Nitori-kun. How about banana nut muffins? I found a recipe for those I wanted to try out!"

"I-sure," Nitori muttered. He looked up at Mayumi, unable to hold back the question that was on the tip of his tongue. He finally blurted out, "Momo-kun told me you had a fight with Seijuro-senpai." His eyes widened when he noticed Mayumi's expression harden, and he quickly clapped his hands over his mouth. "Gomen'nasai, Mayumi-chan! I didn't mean to pry into your personal life! Please don't be mad!"

Mayumi sighed. "It's okay, I'm not mad at you. Onii-chan is just so patronizing sometimes. He still treats me as though I'm a little girl. I can handle myself just fine, I don't need him interfering. I especially don't need him beating up my classmates."

Aiichiro nodded sadly. "I'm sorry if your boyfriend got hurt."

Mayumi scoffed. "Boyfriend? Please, Hideki-kun deserved everything he got from my brother. He's a complete jerk. I wasn't mad because onii-chan beat him up. But after he did it, he tried to give me this lecture on how I was too young to date guys. So I got annoyed and told him that there was a boy I liked. He lost it, going on about how he wouldn't let me date him and how if he ever found out who that boy was, he would beat him up too. So I got mad and walked out."

Aiichiro's eyes widened. "Oh."

Mayumi sighed. "It's okay. We've had fights before, we'll be fine." She looked up at Aiichiro and smiled widely. "I hope you like the cookies, Nitori-kun! I have to get back now."

Aiichiro nodded and smiled at her. "Arigato, Mayumi-chan."

He watched the girl leave, her bright orange hair swinging behind her and leaving his heart thudding rapidly. He sighed and sat down in the lobby, wondering if he would ever be able to get over his crush on her. His hands landed on the Tupperware box and he opened it, wondering what Mayumi had made this week.

There were small, chocolate covered almond cookies, each in the shape of a tiny heart.

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Aiichiro was sitting alone in the room, munching on the cookies Mayumi had sent him, when the door to his room burst open. He jumped up in surprise, only to see his ex-captain Mikoshiba standing at the door. Seijuro frowned and looked around the room, seeming disappointed.

"Sorry, Nitori," Seijuro apologized with a sigh. "I was looking for my little brother. Do you know where he is?"

Nitori shook his head. "I haven't seen him all day."

"Never mind. Thanks," Seijuro muttered, turning to close the door behind him. He paused suddenly, freezing in the doorway and sticking his nose in the air. He sniffed twice. "It smells like Mayumi's almond cookies in here. I told her not to send Momo any more junk food until the tournament was over, he never works off the calories!"

Aiichiro flushed red. "Um, actually, they're mine."

Seijuro whirled around, noticing the box that was lying next to Aiichiro on the bed, filled with the small heart shaped cookies. His eyes widened and his face hardened, eyes narrowing suddenly. Aiichiro froze in horror. He remembered what had happened to the last guy who had confessed to Mayumi-chan. When Seijuro lifted his hand, Aiichiro closed his eyes reflexively, preparing himself to feel that large fist on his face. "Please don't hit me, Seijuro-senpai!"

"Hm?"

When there was no impact, Aiichiro carefully opened one eye and saw Seijuro reaching for a cookie. He bit into one, sighing happily. "Ahh, I've missed these. One cookie can't ruin my hard-earned abs, right? Why are you flinching like that, Nitori?"

Aiichiro gaped at him, open-mouthed. "I-I thought…"

Seijuro laughed, clapping Aiichiro hard on the back. The smaller boy winced slightly, despite his immense relief. His face turned red in embarrassment, but when he looked up, Seijuro had stopped laughing. He looked down at the half-eaten cookie in his other hand almost ruefully. "Mayumi-chan is still a little girl to me. But I suppose if she had to date someone, it might as well be you, Nitori."

Aiichiro flushed as Seijuro released him and walked to the door, pausing to call out, "Watch your diet, Nitori! Too much sugar isn't good for your form!" before closing it behind him.

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"Congratulations, captain," Mayumi teased, as she approached Aiichiro from behind. He whirled around to face her, his face turning completely red. He rubbed the back of his neck with his hand uncomfortably, while Mayumi gave him a small smile. "I'm really happy for you."

"Arigatou," Aiichiro said. He smiled at her. "I haven't seen you in a long time."

"I guess we've both been busy," Mayumi replied with a light shrug. "You've had your tournaments and I've been swamped at work. I guess you won't want any more of my baked goods now, eh? You probably have to keep in top shape, now that you're captain of Samezuka's swim team and all."

Aiichiro shook his head and smiled. "I'll work them off like I always do."

Mayumi nodded, looking out at the pool where the rest of the team was practicing. There was something slightly distant in her eyes and Aiichiro watched her, worried. He was about to ask her if she was all right, when she spoke. "I guess I never thought we would become third years so quickly. It's scary to think this is the last year we can spend in school without responsibilities."

Aiichiro smiled. "I never thought time would pass by this quickly either."

"I suppose you'll get scouted by a great team like my brother," Mayumi replied quietly, folding her arms across her chest. "Captain of Samezuka- there's no way you won't get a bunch of good offers with your talent."

"I hope so." Aiichiro replied. He glanced at her, watching how her bright orange locks framed her face. She was still facing away from him, eyes distant. "Have you thought about what colleges you're going to apply for, Mayumi-chan?"

"I'm not going to college," she replied quietly.

"What?"

"The bakery I work part-time at offered me a full-time job after I graduate. It's a really good opportunity; and it's what I always wanted to do. I might take a few courses at the local university, but I won't be studying full time."

Aiichiro blinked. "You don't seem happy."

"I am happy. About the job," Mayumi replied. "I just feel like I'll be the only one left behind in this town while everyone else I know moves on to bigger things and different places." She closed her eyes, before turning to look at Aiichiro. "Will you forget me after you go off to college?"

Aiichiro froze. There were tears in her green eyes, and he didn't know how to respond. "Never," he whispered. "How could I forget you, Mayumi-chan?"

Mayumi smiled sadly. "Thanks, Nitori-kun."

"I could never forget you," Aiichiro added, clenching his fists tightly and taking a deep breath. This was it. He was going to do it. He'd been trying for weeks, but the timing finally seemed right and he was sick of waiting around. "Because I love you," he choked out finally.

Mayumi froze. "Do you mean that?"

"Yes, I-" he was cut off by Mayumi throwing her arms around him and pressing her face into his shoulder. Aiichiro stumbled back a few steps, before wrapping his own arms around her just as tightly. He closed his eyes. So this was what it felt like to hold Mayumi Mikoshiba. She was warm, and she smelled like vanilla essence. Aiichiro held onto her tightly until Mayumi wriggled and pulled back.

"Will you let me wait for you?" Mayumi asked, tears filling her eyes. "I don't mind being alone in Iwatobi so much if I know that you'll come back to me someday."

Aiichiro's heart lept. "Yes," he said quickly. "I'll always come back to you."

She leaned up and kissed him, her soft lips pressing against his insistently, while her arms snaked around his shoulders. Aiichiro forgot for a moment that he was supposed to be conducting a practice and that they were in the middle of Samezuka's pool area; he only knew that he'd been wanting to do this for over a year, and now that he had the chance, he wasn't about to stop. His lips captured hers and gently kissed them, while his heart thudded in his chest. He only cared about the soft, warm girl in his arms and the way her soft lips felt against his.

From across the pool area, Momotauro Mikoshiba watched in silent horror while his captain made out with his sister, in front of the entire Samezuka swimming team.

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End file.
